Pages

Monday, September 10, 2012

Living with 3D vision

I know I’m behind the times. I have yet to see a 3D movie at
the cinema, so can only imagine what it must be like. But wait—did I just write
‘only imagine’? What a grave injustice to my imagination! You see, recently I
realised all over again that I tend to see so many things in 3D in my mind on a
regular basis. I recall some event or hear something wonderful and see it
in full colour in my imagination. I put myself right in the scenario
and experience it from all angles. And I often wish I could write it all down
and convey it to others even half as vividly as I have witnessed it in my
mind.

Do you experience this too? Or is it just crazy me? As I was
talking with a friend the other day and describing something that had happened
to me, I noticed how I could not seem to resist setting the scene in a
colourful way, commenting on exactly where I had been standing, expressing my
feelings about it all with great emotion and generally taking much longer to
tell the whole story than others would! But then I stopped short and
apologised.

‘Sorry!’ I told my friend. ‘I know my husband would tell me
to hurry up and get to the point, but I’m a storyteller. I can’t seem to help
myself!’

Several years ago, during a wonderful week-long writing
course I attended, our group was led in a guided imagery exercise. We were asked
to imagine a large room, to picture the dimensions of it and where the doors
and windows might be. Next, we were asked what else might be in that
room—perhaps a fireplace or a particular item of furniture. Then we were led to
wonder who might be in that room. Was there more than one person? If so, what
was their relationship like? On it went in this way—until I was almost bursting
to want to write it all down! From the moment our course facilitator had
started, I was off, lost in my imaginary room. For some odd reason, I had
pictured a large dining room in an old, English manor, complete with fireplace,
huge dining table and heavy chandelier. And in my room were two people—a mother
and an adult son, come together for the first time in many years. There was no
love lost between these two, I knew. The mother was stubborn and autocratic—and
also ill. And the son, a doctor, was equally stubborn, but also very angry and
bitter. I was fascinated with the whole scenario—and I wanted to find out more.By the time that course was over, this scene had become a
long Chapter One of what I hoped would be a future novel. I put it away until around
eighteen months ago—and now that chapter has become the first chapter of my
sixth novel, The Inheritance, due for
release next year.

I never cease to be amazed at the power of imagination and
at our ability to see those 3D images in all their glory inside our heads. But
then, why should I be? After all, we are created in God’s image. And we only
have to look around us to see God’s awesome creativity and imagination at work
in nature. How blessed we are to have such an amazing, God-given resource at
our disposal!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane, Australia, and holds an
Arts degree from Queensland University. She has also studied Education and
Theology and has worked as a high school teacher and editor, as well as in
local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves communicating through both the written and
spoken word and currently has five published novels – ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days
of My Life’, ‘Laura’, ‘Jenna’ and ‘Heléna’s Legacy’.She is married to a retired minister and has
three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please
visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.